


Ballroom Dancing and Blushing

by Caedmon



Series: Five Times Rose and the Doctor Lied About Their Relationship (and One Time They Didn't) [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, Could be either Ninth or Tenth Doctor, F/M, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, this is absolutely nothing but fluff, unadulterated fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-19 10:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4742363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caedmon/pseuds/Caedmon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor takes Rose to a grand ball on Upsilon IV, but she keeps blushing. If she keeps that up, he's just going to <i>have</i> to kiss her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ballroom Dancing and Blushing

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, as to which Doctor this is about...  
> I ship Rose with Nine, Ten and Tentoo, but this was written with Nine and Ten in mind. I tried to make this ambiguous enough that it could apply to either one (set _after_ The Empty Child but _before_ GitF). Although I tried to make it ambiguous, I had Ten more in mind when I wrote it. However, when I went back and re-read it, it felt a lot more like Nine to me. So I have no idea which Doctor I wrote and I'm tagging them both.
> 
> Either way, it's fluff with Doctor and Rose, and that's always good, right? :D
> 
> Now, the usual.  
> I own nothing. If I did, I'd be rich. I don't have a beta, however, so I do own all of the misteaks. (see what I did there?)  
> Teen rating is due to swearing. I tend to swear a lot, and it bleeds into my fics. Not terrible, but enough that I figured I'd play it safe.  
> Comments and kudos keep the muse going when the wrists and butt are numb from typing.  
> Come talk to me! :) caedmonfaith.tumblr.com

_The Tardis has really outdone herself this time_ , Rose thought as she preened in the mirror. The Doctor had told her they were going somewhere special, that he was taking her dancing, and she would find the appropriate attire on her bed waiting. He’d said all of it with a coy smile, as if he couldn’t wait to see her reaction, and she’d half expected him to follow her to her room. 

He wouldn’t have been disappointed in her reaction if he’d been hoping for one. The dress that had been waiting for her was no dress, it was a _masterpiece_ of a gown. Stunning. Magnificent. Rose was hesitant to touch it, much less put it on...it was too beautiful and she feared she may ruin it with her inexperienced hands. The Tardis nudged her mind in encouragement and she approached it carefully, running her fingers across the bodice lightly.

It was off-white, a creamy eggshell color. Rich satin on the bodice was accented with burgundy embroidery, elaborate swirls and flowers punctuated with pearls and red rhinestones dotted throughout at appropriate places that would catch the eye just right. Pearls lined the waist. The waist tapered delicately into the full skirt, with the same pearls and rhinestones hidden throughout the soft, billowing fabric that shimmered so much it nearly glowed.

The Tardis had helpfully provided the materials she’d need to dress her hair in the appropriate fashion, and was kind enough to play a video demonstrating how to create the look until Rose got it correct. Just when she thought her hair was perfect, she looked down at her vanity to see a dainty pearl-and-ruby necklace, drop-pearl earrings, and a pearl-and-ruby bracelet with a ruby clasp. Behind that, several bobby pins with either a red rhinestone or pearl attached to the end lay, and Rose stuck them into her hair at different intervals to add a nice finishing touch. 

Now, as she twirled before the mirror in her bedroom, she bit her lip and smiled to herself. 

The Doctor was taking her dancing, apparently to a grand ball if her gown was any indication. She looked and felt like a queen. It wouldn’t be possible, she thought, to be any happier than she felt in this moment. 

~*~O~*~

The usual sound of Rose’s trainers was replaced by the light click of her slippers, and the usual scent of the fruity shampoo she favored had been slightly overpowered by a floral scent he wasn’t familiar with. The Doctor was a little confused, having momentarily forgotten their plans until he turned around and saw her, and she literally took his breath away for a moment. 

_Old girl_ , he told the Tardis, _you really outdid yourself this time._ She acknowledged him with a purr and it was the last bit of higher thought he was capable of for a while. 

“Rose…” he said, and was all he could manage at the moment. 

But Rose...wonderful, oblivious Rose...beautiful, breathtaking Rose...Rose who was literally stunning him with how gorgeous she was in that glowing, glittering, monument to perfection of a dress, had the total lack of insight to say, “Oh, wow, Doctor, you look...wow.”

He looked down at himself for just a moment, wondering what she was talking about and if something was wrong with what he was wearing, realizing suddenly that he was wearing a tuxedo and she’d never seen him in formal togs. He looked back up to her almost immediately, though, unwilling to let his eyes wander from the sight of her for too long. 

“Rose…” he repeated, because nothing else would come. His mouth work soundlessly, but his mind wouldn’t allow him to say anything and he just stood there, looking quite like a fish. His brain was entirely focused on memorizing the sight of _Rose_ , and processing the knowledge that _Rose will be in my arms in a matter of minutes_ and _you lucky bastard_. 

“Doctor?” Rose was biting her lip and her brow, her lovely, perfect brow was furrowing. _No, no, don’t do that...don’t ever look anything but blissfully happy...tell me how to make you blissfully happy, Rose Tyler…_

She plucked at her skirt self-consciously. “It’s too much, isn’t it? I’ll go change…” She turned to leave and _no, please, you like an angel corporeal, please stay…_

But all he could do was shout “No!” like the brilliant, superior, most-clever-being-in-the-universe that he was.

Rose froze, startled, and the Doctor realized his mistake. Clearing his throat, he amended himself. “What I meant to say is, no, please don’t change, Rose. You look absolutely beautiful.”

She glowed, putting the dress to shame and ducked her head shyly. It was endearing as hell and he had to clench his fists to stop himself from clutching her to him, plunging his fingers into that elegant coiffure she’d clearly worked terribly hard on, utterly _ruining_ it and snogging her until she forgot her name. 

But he’d promised to dance with her, and by God, he was going to dance with her. 

“You’re not s’bad lookin’ yourself tonight.” Rose tilted her head towards him.

He pretended to be affronted. “Are you saying that I’m bad looking any other time?”

“‘Course not. I think you’re rather fit.”

She blushed bright red, nearly camouflaged into her dress. She’d managed to catch him off his guard again, and he had no clue where to go from there. _Rose Tyler thought he was handsome. Is that what she’d said?_ That couldn’t be right, though. Rose liked prettyboys. Was he a prettyboy? He didn’t _think_ so? His brain scrambled for something to grab hold to and make sense of, but it was full of Rose at the moment.

“I’ve never seen you without your jacket, just in your sleeves.” She nodded her head at him again.

Finally, something made sense again, and he cottoned on. “Oh yeah! I clean up alright. But I’ve got your jacket right…” The Doctor reached down and grabbed the tuxedo jacket, throwing it up in the air and catching it so that it slid down his arms and into place with a flourish. “Here!”

Rose laughed and clapped softly. “Bravo! Very nice.”

The Doctor gave her a silly grin while he buttoned. “Yeah? The jacket or the show?”

Rose giggled again. “Both, I’d say. Well done, both of them.” She bit her lip. “Didn’t mind the sleeves, though.”

Rose blushed pink again and bloody hell if she did much more of that they weren’t going to make it off the Tardis. he was going to _have_ to kiss her or he may very well regenerate. At the very least he’d have to touch her and soon…

The Doctor offered his elbow gallantly. “Mademoiselle?”

She raised an eyebrow. “We’re French now, are we?”

He looked at her seriously, his elbow still raised. “Rose Tyler, the way you look tonight, I’ll call you any-damn-thing you please.”

That was entirely the wrong thing to say because yes, she was looking blissfully happy like he’d hoped but there goes that blasted blush again and dammit all her hairdo, makeup and lips were in clear and present danger if they didn’t leave _right then_. Even stuffy Time Lords have their limits.

The Doctor raised his elbow again, waggling it a bit before her. “Shall we, then, Rose Tyler?”

She touched her tongue to the corner of her mouth, making his own tongue terribly envious ( _Doctor, you lecherous old bastard, you stop all that this very instant before you ruin everything and she demands to go home, This Very Instant!_ ), and the Doctor pulled his arm in close, trapping her arm against his body. She stepped closer to him, her side flush against his, and the Doctor was sure he’d never been so happy in all his lives. 

~*~O~*~

“So, where we goin’, with me all gussied up and you all dandified?” They strolled down a cobblestone street, lit with electric streetlights that were done up to look old-fashioned. Rose noted an odd, eclectic mix of modern and old-fashioned things, like a storefront full of laptops and a horse and buggy tethered to a post nearby. 

“Oi!” the Doctor exclaimed and jerked his head around just in time to see her giggle. “M’not dandified! Ruggedly handsome, me.”

“That you are,” Rose agreed, patting his arm where it linked with hers and he preened. “But seriously, Doctor, where or when are we?”

“The planet Upsilon IV, about five hundred years in your future. 20,000 light years or so from Earth.” 

“Ah. And they’re havin’ a dance tonight?”

“That they are, Rose Tyler. And we’re going!” He swayed just a bit, tugging her just an inch or so. Rose wasn’t sure he knew he was doing it, but she smiled anyway at his fit of whimsy. “Upsilon IV is a human colony from the late 21st century, and they’re rather obsessed with ‘old Earth’ things. they wear old Earth fashions, watch old Earth television, use old Earth technology, et cetera. It would likely be very comfortable for you to stay here, if you ever wanted to.”

“No, ta, d’rather stay with you.” 

The Doctor puffed up a bit, much to her amusement. “We’re here at their annual Founders’ Day celebration and ball. It’s a glorious hodgepodge of things you’ll probably be at least a little familiar with, but everyone dresses to the nines.”

Rose felt unsure again, looking down at her dress. She was certainly dressed to the nines, but what if she’d picked the wrong century, or the wrong style of dress? What if she was over- or under-dressed? “So I’ll be alright in this?”, she asked, her uncertainty shining through.

He stopped and took her hands in his. “Rose Tyler, I cross both my hearts, you will absolutely be the most beautiful woman there.”

Rose grinned up at him. “Promise?”

He smiled softly down at her and something in his eyes made her breath catch. Something undefinable...something she’d seen before but only flickers, something she’d dared not ever name, only wish to see again. Something that made her heart stutter. 

“I promise. You’ll be the belle of this ball. And if you’re not, I’ll...I’ll..” he seemed to struggle for something bad enough. “I’ll eat a pear!”

Rose burst into a gale of giggles and he brought her knuckles to his lips, brushing his lips against them in the lightest possible touch. She felt her cheeks heat up, and when they did, his eyes did, too. 

“You’re breathtaking, Rose. Truly.”

Just at the moment, though, Rose was the one struggling to catch her breath, with the way he was looking at her. Surely he couldn’t be as affected by her as she was by him...could he?

The Doctor smiled softly and tucked her arm back into his elbow, starting the walk towards the dance again.

~*~O~*~

Rose had never been anywhere or seen anything like this. It was like prom, if people wore period gowns and carried dance cards and danced the Virginia Reel then danced to Justin Timberlake. It was a jarring juxtaposition of cultures, but not at all unpleasant. 

The Doctor had seized her dance card (as soon as it was possible to do so without being seen and tutted at by the older woman who had handed it to Rose) and pocketed it. When she’d raised her brow and asked him what _that_ had been about, he’d just looked around the room as if he were scouting for imminent danger. “These people, these men. They may not be very….gentlemanly.”

Rose looked out on the dance floor. Couples were swirling by, dancing to a song that sounded modern but she didn’t recognize. All of the couples had left a clear distance between their bodies, and she could see no evidence of lascivious, predatory blokes. 

As she watched, one couple who was dancing cheek-to-cheek was approached by an older gentleman who tapped on the man’s shoulder. The older man spoke to the couple and they separated to a respectful distance.

_Yep. Just like prom, then._

“Doctor?”

“Hmm?” he said, watching the crowd.

“Nobody appears to be behaving in an ungentlemanly fashion.”

“Hmm?” he said again, then cottoned on to what she was saying.” “Oh! Well, they talk the pretty girls into dark corners. Tricky gits, they are.”

Rose pursed her lips and nodded, then looked around the room again and bit her lip, fighting the smile she knew the Doctor wouldn’t appreciate right then. She couldn’t ignore this opportunity, though…

“Doctor?”

“Yes, Rose?” He didn’t look at her, was still looking at the room, and she was glad. It gave her the extra time to school her features before he looked down at her.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place, right time?”

“‘Course I am! Triple checked the coordinates!” He looked down at her, indignant and confused. “Why’d you ask?”

“Well, you see, the room…” She waved her hand in a sweeping motion. “It’s round. There’s no corners here, Doctor.”

He didn’t answer her, just pursed his lips and brought his brows together into a V before he turned back to the dancers. 

Rose wanted to pump her fist into the air and laugh. The Doctor had stolen the chance for anyone else to claim a dance with her, and that was the most wonderful thing she could think of. 

Then the ramifications of that set in, more realistically than they had on the Tardis when she was getting dressed. It was no longer just a daydream as she hummed and put up her hair, now she was standing beside the dance floor of a ball with the _Doctor_ and he didn’t want her to dance with anyone else, but he hadn’t asked _her_ to dance, either...what should she do?

Rose chewed her lip and wrung her hands for a short while, trying to dim her smile to a manageable level and drum up courage at the same time. Finally, a song came on that she recognized, felt appropriate to the circumstances and coached herself: _it’s now or never, Tyler...do it!_

“Doctor?”

“Yes, Rose?” he answered, sounding a bit annoyed and she supposed she deserved that, but it didn’t sting any less or help her nerves a’tall.

“Nevermind,” she deflated.

“No, go ahead, what’s on your mind?” He turned to face her. She gave her lip one last bite and her hands one last wring before she turned to face him herself. God, why’d he have to be so bloody handsome? 

“I was wondering...well...would _you_ want to dance with me, Doctor?”

She’d lied when she’d told herself that was the last bite of her lip and the last wring of her hands, because there she went again. Her lip jumped right between her teeth and her hands went for each other again, squeezing and twisting with gusto. 

The Doctor hesitated all of two seconds before his face bloomed. “Rose Tyler, it would be my honor,” he said as he gave her a little bow.

Rose blew out the huge breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding and took his proffered elbow, returning his smile with a bravery she didn’t feel. _Oh, this is happening,_ she thought. _This is really happening, I’m really about to dance with the Doctor again and nothing in the world could ever make me happier than this, right here, right now._

~*~O~*~

_Sweet bleeding Christ, he was dancing with Rose Tyler again. He was going to have her in his arms again in a matter of seconds._

The Doctor led her to a spot large enough for two people but small enough that they’d have to budge up a bit. It’d only be courteous to other dancers to give them extra room, correct? Of course. And he’s a pillar of civility and kindness, he is.

When they got to the spot, the Doctor surrendered to a burst of whimsy and raised his arm, giving Rose a twirl, letting her glittering skirts twirl around her legs. When she’d rotated fully, he caught her securely around the waist and tugged her to him. 

“Got you.”

She just blinked up at him and the mighty Time Lord was unable to tell, later, just how long he held her like that, staring into her eyes, letting the shutters fall so she could see his love. He may have had an easier use of his time senses, but his senses were all consumed by Rose and how he was really, truly certain now that he’d never been happier in his lives.

Eventually he took her hand in his and held it away from their bodies, guiding them into the proper position to dance, never letting his eyes leave hers. He was terrified to look anywhere but her eyes. She may be blushing, and he wasn’t sure he could deal with that right at this moment. 

“Ready?” he asked, and his voice, he was surprised but not displeased to hear, was deeper than usual. Quieter, or maybe huskier somehow. 

Rose’s eyes left his, flicked to his lips and oh, wasn’t that interesting? Maybe her brain was in the same place his was. Maybe she was thinking about kissing him as much as he was thinking about kissing her. She bit her lip and nodded up at him. He beamed down at her tugged her a little closer just to defy the stodgy old codgers around the dance floor and began to dance. 

It was odd, he thought, waltzing to Def Leppard, but he’d certainly done stranger things in his incredibly long life. The song was certainly appropriate, the lyrics speaking of longing and the pain of not being with the person you wanted to be with, of being in love with someone just out of reach. 

‘ _Have you ever needed someone so bad?,_ the song asked.

Why, no. No, he had not, as a matter of fact. 

But he did now, oh how he did, and taking her to this ball had been a Fantastic Idea and a Very Bad Idea all at once. It was a Fantastic Idea because he was holding Rose Tyler close and she was sparkling and shimmering and - bloody damn - blushing _again_ and she really needed to stop that. He’d been right, she was far and away the most beautiful woman in the room and dammit, he should have bet her a kiss. He would’ve, if he’d had proper brain function. 

“Looks like I’m spared my fate worse than death,” he said, realizing he was still smiling. 

Rose was, too. “Oh yeah? What’s that then?”

The Doctor had no idea if she’d really forgotten or was fishing for a compliment, but it really, really didn’t matter. He was dying to tell her anyway. Over and over again. 

He leaned down, closer to her ear as if to impart a great secret and this had been another Fantastic Yet Very Bad Idea because she turned her head just a bit to allow him better access, playing his game and there was her neck, all soft white skin, unmarred and smooth with a tendril of hair curling against it that he wanted desperately to play with and a line of precious jewels lying across that creamy juncture between her neck and shoulder that were candy machine baubles compared to her - they could never be good enough for Rose, nothing ever could. When he got closer to her ear he could smell the source of her perfume, just a tiny dab behind each ear, he’d wager and oh, God, he was utterly drunk on her.

“You’re the most beautiful woman here,” he whispered when he was as close as he dared go if he hoped to maintain control of his rioting senses. 

The Doctor pulled back to look at her and Rose was blushing again. Well, that was just it. He was lost, their fate was sealed. He knew that he would not survive the night without kissing Rose Tyler. He’s known for what seems like eons what she sounds, looks, smells and feels like. He even knows what her latent psychic energy feels like. Tonight he’s finally, _finally_ , going to know what she tastes like, and all of his senses will know Rose Marion Tyler. It’s all but done, and the only question now is when. 

She batted her lashes up at him and he thought she may actually be _trying_ to kill him. “Am I really?” 

She was fishing now, and it still doesn’t matter because he would tell her over and over for the rest of both their lives if he could, making sure she understood and never forgot. He nodded solemnly. “Really really.” _And you’re mine_ , he added to himself.

~*~O~*~

This turned out to be a claim that the Doctor had to defend outwardly all night, as it seemed that dance cards were merely a formality and the population of the ball tended to stick to the tradition of winging it and ‘cutting in’ when they wanted to dance with someone. 

Gentlemen attempted to cut in and win a dance with Rose over and over, and the Doctor was deeply gratified when Rose turned down every single potential suitor with barely a second glance and a polite, “no, ta.” That didn’t stop him from glaring menacingly at every last one of the men that dared ask to take her away from him, even if Rose was compassionate enough to let them down with a smile. 

They took a break when Rose said she was thirsty after a vigorous round of flatfooting that had left both of them laughing heartily. It was with misgivings that he left her by a tall greco-roman column fanning herself while he went to fetch drinks for them both. When the Doctor turned around to come back to her, however, he found that she was obscured by a crowd. 

A decidedly _masculine_ crowd.

_Sodden hell._

The Doctor tried very hard not to stomp or prowl or appear overly menacing to the crowd at large but felt he must have failed, given the wide berth he was given on his way to Rose and her admirers. So he didn’t bother holding back much when he reached her, surrounded by half a dozen men, all vying for her attention. 

“No, ta, really,” she was saying, “I appreciate the kindness but I’m spoken for...thank you, that’s very kind, but no…” Rose’s shoulders straightened and her eyes widened when she saw the Doctor pushing through the crowd. “Doctor!”

He reached her side and handed her the champagne, which she accepted while looking up at him with a grateful smile. The Doctor resisted a nearly overpowering urge to kiss her right there and then, laying claim to her and shutting all of these prats down, deciding at the last second to rub it in the bastards’ faces another way. 

The Doctor turned to face the men and slipped his arm comfortably around Rose’s waist as if he did it multiple times a day and his arm belonged there, pulling her gently to his side. She came to him easily and melted against him perfectly, leaning into him. God, but that felt nice.

He smiled at the men staring at them, some of the heat gone out of him. Rose had made things better (as she always did, of course). “Right. You lot heard the lady. She’s spoken for.” None of the men moved, perhaps a little perplexed by the pairing of the younger woman with the older man, the display of affection, or maybe a bit put off by the blatant staking of a claim on the most exquisite woman there.

The Doctor was certainly surprised by all three of these, himself. But Rose had said she was spoken for, and who was he to argue with Rose Tyler?

“Well, what are you waiting for? Beat it!”

~*~O~*~

“That wasn’t half rude,” she said when they’d all beat a hasty retreat. And she wasn’t half pleased, showing it by smiling up at him. 

The Doctor shrugged. “Shall I call them back?”

“No! Please don’t.”

He chuckled and squeezed her waist, then let go. “Shall we dance then?”

Rose sipped her champagne. “Yes, I think we should.”

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “We _should_?”

“Why, yes,” she responded reasonably. “It would be terribly, terribly rude to tell those gentlemen no, and then not dance.”

The Doctor’s eyebrows met in an adorable scowl. “I don’t care about being rude to them. They can sod off, and good riddance to bad rubbish.”

“I wasn’t talking about _them_ , Doctor,” she said. Her eyes twinkled and her voice was bubbly with the giggle she was trying to hold back. _Oh, you nutter,_ she thought. _How I adore you._

“Oh, no?” His face cleared.

“No, it would be rude to _me_.”

“Oh. _Oh!_ ”

Rose did giggle then, watching his face register surprise before he coughed. “Quite right,” he said. “I wouldn’t ever want it to be said that I was rude, would I?” She let another giggle slip. The Doctor, not rude? More giggles. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, my daft Doctor.”

He grinned, and she had the mad desire to tug on his lapels until he was within kissing distance. 

He turned his body to her and for one panicked moment she was afraid he’d read her thoughts. He brought his hand down to grasp hers and asked, “Allow me to start over. Miss Rose Tyler, would you give me the honor of this dance?”

Had it not been for her ribs, her heart would have fluttered right away. Rose was sure of it. 

She smiled and curtseyed, thinking that was likely the proper thing to do (like she had any real idea, she snorted internally), saying “it would be my pleasure, Doctor.” He took her drink and sat the two flutes of champagne on a nearby table before offering his arm to her. She took it, and he led her back out to the dance floor. 

The song changed as they reached their place and Rose cooed, “Oooh, I’ve always thought this song was quite pretty.” 

“That so?” the Doctor gave her a tiny little version of the grin he got when he was really, really pleased with himself and she wondered what he was up to. He pulled her to him, one arm around her waist, bracing her to him and tucked their arms in between their bodies, not even bothering to observe the space requirements or steps the other dancers were following. He just held her close to him and rocked her back and forth. It was probably for the best that she was securely wrapped in his arms and they weren’t bothering with complicated steps because she was barely able to stand. Not with the way he was looking at her. He swayed her gently and she was lost, utterly lost in him. 

“We’re mates, did you know?”

Cold water all over her in five little words. She stiffened. “Pardon?”

“Me and Clapton. Eric Clapton. The bloke singing?”

She nodded distractedly. “Right, of course.”

He seemed pleased that she’d caught on to what he meant and pulled her close again, breaking her from her rigid state and flush against him. Rose closed her eyes and lay her head against him, turned her face towards his neck, breathed him in, realizing too late that this was a Very Bad Idea. The smell of him was always heady but this much of it up close left her lightheaded. The Doctor had laid his cheek against the top of her head for a moment, she could feel the bobby pins digging into her scalp and didn’t care one tiny bit. 

Then he moved his cheek down and the Doctor was singing softly, so softly into her ear. 

_’We go to a party and everyone turns to see_  
_this beautiful lady that’s walking around with me_  
_and then she asks me, ‘do you feel alright?’_  
_and I say, ‘yes, I feel wonderful tonight.’_

“Could have been written about you, love,” he whispered just before he brushed a kiss against the shell of her ear.

“Sir?”

The Doctor pulled away from her suddenly and Rose _really_ wished he hadn’t done that. She stumbled forwards but he caught her, because of course he did, he always did, there was never a doubt that he wouldn’t let her fall. Rose opened her eyes slowly, regaining the use of her legs after a second of looking into his warm, soft, eyes. Rose was fairly certain she was lost, somehow she was lost to him and she never, ever wanted to be found, she was forever the Doctor’s.

Someone nearby cleared their throat and the Doctor tore his eyes from Rose, irritation flashing across his features when he looked away. 

“Yes?”

“Sir, we have statutes of decorum here. It was improper to dance with a partner like that on old Earth, and so it is here.”

“I assure you, it was not improper at all on old Earth,” Doctor said smoothly. “Now if you’ll excuse me…”

“ _Sir,_ ” the old man said said insistently, “we have seen many old Earth movies and understand Earth morality. At a dance such as this, when _young people_ ,” the Doctor’s eyes narrowed a bit at the slight, “come together to seek mates, it is up to the elders to make certain that no lewd or lascivious behaviours-”

“Yeah, well, we’re not out seeking mates, thanks,” the Doctor cut him off and tugged Rose into his side.

The man blustered, “Are you attempting to defame or otherwise compromise this young girl, sir? I won’t permit it!”

The Doctor rolled his eyes. “Oh, sodden hell, I’d forgotten how you lot can be. Nobody’s being compromised, alright, Jackie Tyler?” Rose stifled a laugh, and the Doctor spared a moment to wink at her.

“Are you saying,” the older man said, red-faced with indignity, “that this young girl is your _wife_?”

“Yeah, maybe I am!” the Doctor said back in a raised voice. 

Rose let out a surprised little ‘eep!’ and felt herself blush bright, flaming red all over. Of all the things she’d expected or hoped from this evening, she’d _never_ expected…

The Doctor turned to look at her. He assessed her with a look in his eyes that she couldn’t place, but made her blush grow brighter and hotter. 

“In fact,” he said, his eyes settling on her lips, “I think it’s high time I snogged my bride.”

She had been wrong, she thought as the Doctor’s lips moved against hers. This moment, right here, right now, was the happiest of her life. 

~*~O~*~

He had been entirely wrong, he thought when Rose’s arms came up to circle his neck and her mouth opened below his. This was the happiest he had ever been in all of his many lifetimes.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a fic for another pairing of mine that's a 5x1 about times they lied about their relationship status, then told the truth. It was one of my more popular fics for that pairing, and I got all inspired to do one for NineRose/TenRose. This fic started out as one of the 5, but it got really long really fast. So I decided to do a series, maybe. Possibly. I don't know. I've no idea how I'll be received in the DW fandom, waiting to see. Let me know what you think?


End file.
